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Jonathan Davis [Vocals], James “Munky” Shaffer [Guitar],
Brian "Head" Welch [Guitar], Reggie "Fieldy" Arvizu [Bass] and Ray Luzier [Drums]
Certain bonds last forever. No matter what happens, they can't be bent, bruised,
or broken. There's something indescribable that fastens them together, and the
links only tighten with time. The members of KORN built that kind of bond back
in 1993 the first time that Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald
"Fieldy" Arvizu, and Brian "Head" Welch decided to make music as a unit. They
shed blood, sweat, and tears in the studio and on stage, fashioning an
undeniable, unsettling, and unique sound that would permanently alter the
course of rock music.
After six seminal albums, two Grammy Award wins, and countless sold out
shows, Head left the group in 2004 to face down the demons of addiction on his
own. KORN soldiered on, permanently adding drummer Ray Luzier to the fold
in 2007 and releasing four more epic full-length releases, most recently 2011's
groundbreaking dubstep-metal hybrid The Path of Totality. Nevertheless, they
kept the door open for the return of their brother.
In 2012, a triumphant and tear-filled reunion happened on stage as the group
headlined the Carolina Rebellion festival with Head reprising his legendary part
on "Blind." The initial bond came back into focus, but it was time to change the
game again. It was time for a Paradigm Shift…
That brings us to KORN's eleventh studio album, THE PARADIGM SHIFT.
With Head back in the fold, the group retreated to where it all began—
Bakersfield. Writing new music in a hometown rehearsal spot, everything
immediately felt as if it was meant to be.
"We're all at the right place in our lives," admits Head. "That's the main reason I
came back. There's nothing negative out here anymore. Things had really
changed. Everybody has his head on straight. The opportunity to rejoin the band
presented itself and I thought, 'I've know these guys for my whole life. Love is
unconditional. The time to reconcile is right now.' Every sign was there for me.
When I left, I rebuilt myself. The guys did as well. It's better than ever."
Jonathan agrees, "When he came back, it was really like he never left. We
always wanted him to come back when he was ready and everything was right.
Carolina Rebellion opened all of our eyes. I'm so happy. We were all ready to
take the next step together and make our best record."
"This was a dream of mine all along," smiles Ray. "Ever since I joined, I wanted
to have the privilege of playing behind the four original members. The magic
between them is indisputable." "Everybody had to go through his respective trials
and tribulations to have a clear vision of what we really wanted as a
band," Munky elaborates. "We wanted to have fun again. That's what we're
doing. We have a renewed vitality. We're all dads. We think about tomorrow.
That's something we didn't do ten years ago. We didn't care. We care about our
health and our families. That's given us the perspective necessary to make the
best music possible. That music is going to be around forever so we want to be
proud of it."
Kicking off 2013, they holed up in the studio with producer Don Gilmore [Linkin
Park, Three Days Grace] for the first time. Without any pretense or pandering,
everybody clung to the collective goal of writing the record of his career thus far.
"It sounds like what we've always wanted to sound like," explains Fieldy. "We've
been playing together for so many years now. We're inspiring ourselves to do
something more challenging, but it's ultimately still Korn." Part of that push came
from Gilmore. The producer encouraged the musicians to focus on song craft.
With that in mind, the group churned out some of its most hypnotic and heavy
hooks ever. "He took everything to another level," Ray goes on. "He's not just a
producer. He's also a musician, and he really got down and dirty with the
structures. It was instantaneous, and I feel like he brought the best out of us."
Jonathan chuckles, "Don's crazy. He pushed me in a nice way. He used some
Jedi powers to move me in the right direction. It wasn't like pulling teeth. It was
awesome. I can't say enough great things about him." "I feel like he effectively
pulled us out of our comfort zone," concurs Munky. "He encouraged us to try
new harmonies and chord voicings. We arrived at this new vision of chaos as a
result. This is where we're supposed to be today. It's no coincidence. We're
supposed to have this moment and this album."
It feels meant to be on the likes of "Punishment Time," where foreboding guitars
decay into a cinematically destructive bridge. Meanwhile, Jonathan's vampiric,
vitriolic, and visceral snarl drives "Lullaby for a Sadist" through a clean guitar
reprieve with a dose of theatrical panache. "Love & Meth" tempers teetering
seven-string violence with a towering refrain. Then, there's the first single "Never
Never." A slow hulking beat stomps into screeching electronics before bleeding
out on a bouncy chorus evocative of the swooping prowess of "Got the Life" and
"Freak on a Leash." "It was an amazing night when we finished that song," the
singer says. "It's a relationship song. You go through that shit and you get hurt so
bad. Then you think, 'It's not worth it anymore. I'm not going to fucking love
again.' You experience so many pressures to be a good dad, a good husband, a
good lover, or whatever. Being in a relationship is a lot of work."
During recording, Jonathan and his young sons Zeppelin and Pirate moved into
the studio. As dad recorded, the boys drew pictures and provided a whole lot of
inspiration. "I wanted to live and breathe it," affirms Jonathan. "Having my boys
there was a part of the process for me. When I was a little kid, I used to watch my
dad work in that same studio. It was trippy and full circle. I had my kids there now
while I was doing my shit. It all had to line up for it to be what it was. We were
camping out. It was like a big slumber party. I felt like a kid again. It really helped.
I couldn't have done it without them."
In some ways, the title encapsulates the group's very ethos. "It's a shift in the
way you look at things," explains Munky. "I saw a piece of art on the internet
related to The PARADIGM SHIFT. It was a picture of a duck, but if you backed
up, it looked like a rabbit. You can see different things from other angles. To me,
it's a new of thinking. It's a shift in consciousness. It's shift in the band towards a
positive direction. We're the same people. We have the same elements. We just
have a better outlook on our music."
KORN have come a long way since their iconic self-titled debut, and they haven't
stopped challenging themselves or heavy music. Why is that? It all goes back to
that irreplaceable and inimitable bond. "Our bond is at its tightest,"
concludes Head. "Munky, Fieldy, Ray, Jonathan, and I strengthen each other. It's
incredible having my friends back in my life. The fans are amazing. This is all for
them. We have a gift, and we're giving it to them. They're uplifted by what we do.
That's the biggest thing. There's nothing better than that." Jonathan leaves off,
"These are my brothers. We're doing exactly what we want to do. Yeah, this is a
new chapter. This is also fucking Korn." — Rick Florino, June 2013
www.korn.com
www.facebook.com/korn
www.twitter.com/korn
www.myspace.com/korn

Sometimes, a band’s music registers just as seismically on an emotional wavelength as it does on a sonic spectrum. Animals As leaders—Tosin Abasi [guitar], Javier Reyes [guitar], and Matt Garstka [drums]—reimagine, reinterpret, and refresh instrumental prog, experimental metal, modern jazz, alternative, and even world music to a point where the reaction becomes primal on their fourth full-length album, The Madness of Many [Sumerian Records].
“What you’re hearing is the madness of the band, what happens in our heads, and what it sounds like when you put it all together,” exclaims Javier. “For us, that’s the sound of the new album. It’s simply the madness of these three individuals. We’re trying to create something that only we can do.”
That’s why Animals As Leaders have risen to celebrated heroes of their respective instruments since first emerging in 2007. Most recently, 2014’s The Joy of Motion bowed at #24 on the Billboard Top 200, moving 13,000 copies first-week. Along the way, the trio has earned acclaim from the likes of Consequence of Sound, Revolver, Ultimate Guitar, and Rolling Stone who extolled them, “as satisfying in their visceral kick as they are in dazzling displays of dexterity.” Tosin would grace the cover of Guitar World twice, while Matt covered Modern Drummer. Consistently delivering a captivating show, they’ve toured alongside Deftones, Between The Buried And Me, Periphery, and many others in addition to Tosin joining Joe Satriani at the G4 Experience and Steve Vai and Nuno Bettencourt for the Generation Axe Tour. Matt remains a sought-after talent, performing on Late Night With Seth Meyers and at drum clinics and festivals worldwide, and Javier’s solo project Mestis stands out as a fan favorite.
When it came time to begin working on new music in late 2015, the musicians possessed a clear vision for their next evolution.
“Instead of enlisting a producer, we ended up doing everything ourselves for the first time,” says Javier. “We were really influencing each other, and it’s the most collaborative effort so far.”
The band opened up the writing process like never before since Matt joining in 2012. Ideas were flowing freely, and his contributions added another dimension to the group’s signature style.
“We’ve known each other’s processes for years, but we really melded here,” adds Matt. “Their approaches have become mine and vice versa. It was great to be a part of the creation as the record really reflects all of our voices.”
“He helped glue together a lot of the parts that Tosin and I wrote,” Javier continues. “He brought that sense of arrangement to the table. It gave birth to something new.”
Another first, Tosin and Javier actually wrote guitar to the drums of six-minute album opener “Arithmophobia.” It’s polyrhythmic percussive palette provided the perfect backdrop for distinct dexterous riffing and a hypnotic hummable lead.
“That was something I sent the guys, and I sat down and explained it,” reveals Matt. “It turned into a very cool track.”
“Eventually, it didn’t seem so foreign,” chuckles Javier. “It challenged us to create a new style while still persevering who we are.”
Meanwhile, single “The Brain Dance” begins with delicate acoustic guitars before morphing into a head-spinning tapestry of fret fireworks.
“Most people would expect a heavy song,” he goes on. “It moves like a dance, ballet, or something very theatrical. That’s where the title came from. It’s literally a journey in your head.”
Ultimately, The Madness of Many will impact listeners like only Animals As Leaders can.
Javier leaves off, “I just want to blow people’s minds and leave them speechless, so they want to share the record.”

If you're not pissed off, then you're not paying attention. Heavy music is alive and DED is bringing back the aggressive spirit that is authentic to the genre. "There is an honesty and a "fuck you" about hard core music that I don't feel as often anymore," says lead singer Joe Cotela. DED is loud and aggressive - but it serves as a positive outlet: the band produces an unapologetic sound that draws from the art of fantasy and expressive screams.